Follow the earlier advice. If you putz around "doing your own thing" for a bit while just dreaming of actually training you will show up with a more inflated ego than the one you're already toting and then when the reality checks start to come in you'll take it even worse. Just go to the gym, trust your trainer and trust yourself to get push through the early stages of physical conditioning.

I'm hopefully going to start taking my first muay thai classes sometime later this year and I'm hopelessly overweight and out of shape. Since I'm not currently able to go to a MT gym due to location (changes happening this year) I am doing my best to start running and the like (also for general health and fitness purposes) but I know once I land in country anything I am working on now will take a back seat. My goal is to become good at muay thai/martial arts, not the be fit enough to start taking classes.

If you do it this way you can at least keep up when they get you in the ring, or have you jump rope, work on a heavy bag. But do not try it alone. You will develop bad habits. Once you learn how to stand right and throw correct punches, then you can work on a heavy bag for power solo, then speed bag, then a double end bag.

But in order to get to a point to train on your own, you need a few days of hands on experience with a coach.

I'm currently looking out for a good gym and so far I've only seen two thats in close proximity. The first one was my old gym which moved a bit farther from me but is still relatively close and the other one is a weight training gym that offers boxing lessons.

I asked for the rates and got to try both gyms and I've noticed that my old gym seemed to be better. The atmosphere in the second gym was that of people working out. Trainers were more focused on making you sweat than correcting footwork. Heck, they let me pivot on my lead foot.

My old gym still reeks of sweaty handwrap and boxing gloves. I liked it but the place seems intimidating. Right off the bat, my trainer was correcting EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING I did. It was always "don't drop your other hand when you punch. Pivot faster. Drag your lead foot when your moving backwards. Drag your power foot when your moving forward. Don't leave your hand out there, snap it back. Bend your knees. Don't stop moving when you're resting your hands. Dont move straight back, move diagonally."

I'd rather have a coach yellin' at me to correct flaws than one who doesnt. If you have an opening, you get punched hard. In boxing, one punch can make a difference. And that punch hurts a lot more than the banter of a coach ever will.

Go with the coach who yells at you and is always on you for messing up. If you ever have a pro fight, or ammy for that matter, the rewards will be plenty.

They give you more time to work yourself and develop some skills now before they put you in the Ring.

Shut your mouth. Open it to suck in as much Air as you can. Do everything your Coach tells you without questions. Drill. Drill. Drill.

Why do you think PacMan employs Freddie? If HE's not beyond it, why would you be different?

A little rude but right nonetheless. I should just suck it up, go back and sign up but I'm not that kind of guy. My pride can't take not being good the first time around so I'm gonna work on cardio first. Maybe someday, I'll learn how to be humble but this time around, I'm gonna prepare a bit so I don't look like an idiot.

If you don't overcome this attitude I guarantee you will never gain any significant proficiency in boxing or any other martial art. You're going to 'look like an idiot' by being unable to keep up, failing, getting dominated and other ego-imperilling events approximately ten million times in the process of getting good at any of them.

Pro tip: You are expected to suck on the first day. People earn respect when they keep coming back anyway.